


Silver Mirrors with Golden Memories.

by JenneeGrace



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-15
Updated: 2013-02-15
Packaged: 2017-11-29 08:30:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/684920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenneeGrace/pseuds/JenneeGrace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gift for my Valentine for the Tumblr OUAT Secret Valentine.</p>
<p>Gabrielle French has had about enough of everyone suggesting that she's lost her mind when she keeps talking about a man who could create fire with only his hands. Yet despite her reluctance of him, he seems to be one of the few willing to just give her the truth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Silver Mirrors with Golden Memories.

_My name is Gabrielle Rose French._

_I saw a man holding fire before he healed me with his hands._

_I’m not crazy._

_I’m not._

 

That’s always been the one point she can never quite put her finger on, but then it’s one of the many mysteries that she keeps writing down in her journal and hiding from the doctors. The first time she thought they might help but instead had just laughed at her odd “delusions” as they called them. At least they hadn’t put her back down in that cell where the only thing she saw were the hospital staff and the occasional glimmering eyes of a woman that never entered. Here, at least, she had sunlight…

Gabrielle looked up from the journal at the sound of footsteps and quickly tucked it under her pillow before anyone could see and just tried to look engrossed with the book she was reading. It was a fascinating tale, but her mind tended to wander back to the strange man that had healed her and that whole confusing night. Fortunately her visitor was not wearing any short of hospital garb and just looked in with a smile.

Sunlight and a friend, two things to be glad about.

She had been a little doubtful about Ruby at first and the sort of air that she gave off that didn’t seem quite right. Gabrielle was too used to being alone though and trapped where no one looked at her like she was the slightest bit normal. She had been the first one though to stand up to the people that had kept her on a steady dose of sedatives and finally allowed her to just talk about what she had seen. At least it made her all feel a little less crazy when you had a girl talking to her about Rumplestiltskin like he actually existed. She’d been making notes though on everything they talked about as soon as Ruby left. The little book made her feel better, but still felt far better kept as a secret.

“How are you doing today?”

“They say I’m doing better… But then they also won’t tell me when they plan to stop keeping me here. It’s honestly getting a little maddening.”

Ruby just smiled, one that quickly put her at ease. “Well with the apparent memory loss, they’re trying to find someone that will be able to be around to help you out with things. And that’s where I come in.” Gabrielle just looked at her skeptically until the other woman continued. “We’ve still got plenty of rooms at the Inn. This way you’d still have your own private place, but you would never be alone like you would be if we took you back to your apartment.”

There was also that unspoken reminder that her father coming to visit had one gone less than well when he was her reason for ending up in the psychology department in the first place. That she remembered with perfect clarity as well as the man running out of there.

“Thank you… Really you don’t need to do that.”

“But we’re still friends. And anywhere has to be better than sticking around here, right?”

She couldn’t agree more…

 

~*~*~

 

The package had arrived her second day of staying at the rather high vacancy Inn. A simple box tied with a blue ribbon and only bearing a note with the words “I’m sorry” written in long strokes. No signature or outward sign of who it had come from and only the slightest sign who it had come from unless she was expected to know simply from the single pink rose in the box along with a silver hand mirror.

Nothing about it made her feel all that wary of the object as she just sat on the edge of her bed and ran her fingers along the intricate pattern of circles, one looping into another without any designation as to where one started or ended. Turning it over just brought up the reflection of a lovely if a bit tired young woman in need of a good shower before starting her day. Sleep was something Gabrielle was still struggling with but at least she didn’t wake up feeling half dazed with drugs. She smiled slightly as image did the same.

“Mirror, mirror in my hand. Whose the fairest in the land?”

She hadn’t expected the image to change into a moving image of another woman she could barely make out enough to identify other than the dress of gold she wore.  Shaking her head a little though to make sure she wasn’t seeing things only brought back the original reflection of herself, brows now creased in confusion. Her imagination must just be running wild again, but it was still going to go into the journal after she cleaned up.

She picked up the rose and took it along with her, just giving it a small smell. It wasn’t her father’s handwriting on the note, but rose was throwing her off. Perhaps Ruby would have a small vase she could keep it in while she tried to solve this new mystery.

~*~*~

“Mushu! We do not go up and harass people on the streets.” Gabrielle just gave a nervous smile to the woman trying to pull back on the pup’s leash. “I’m sorry. Usually he’s a lot better behaved than this… Sit!” The pup finally gave in to his mistress and sat at her feet, still wagging his tail enthusiastically. He was not all that terrifying but being taken off guard while she was trying to unlock the library was plenty reason to be wary. The fellow brunette’s smile was more than infectious while she shortened the length on the leash, putting her at ease.

“It’s fine. Just wasn’t expecting anyone.”

“Well hopefully he won’t try to demand so much affection from strangers soon enough. We’re still new in town though. I’m Aurora.”

For some reason she was sure the name was supposed to be significant to something. Another one of the many lost memories that everyone insisted were hers before finally backing down on the idea that she was just going to accept that on blind faith. “Gabrielle. And I don’t really… Know all that many people around town already. I was kind of sheltered growing up.”

“Well it’s still nice to meet you. Hopefully it won’t be the last time I see you around here. And it won’t involve getting pseudo-attacked by a dog.” Gabrielle just nodded and enjoyed the thought of making another friend, just kneeling down for a moment to give Mushu a pet and scratch behind the ears.

“Just a little over enthusiastic.” She couldn’t help breaking out into a small grin however as waving before the pup headed off with his owner with a swish of dark purple skirts.

Gabrielle unlocked the doors finally and stepped in to take a look around. It had been at least two weeks since anyone had been in here (according to Ruby) and there was already books strewn across the floor that needed picking up as well as cobwebs and dust that were gathering. This place had been described as her sanctuary and her home. For the moment it looked like someone had broken that feeling of safety and sent a cold shiver down her spine. Why couldn’t she just remember? Even some small detail that would help her piece things together and feel like everything was actually going to work out? So far if they were hoping this place was going to trigger a memory, it didn’t seem very likely that it was going to be a good one.

She heard the door open while she was still collecting books off of the floor along with strange sounding footfalls. The tell tale sign of designer leather with the extra tap of an assistive device. One look and Gabrielle grabbed the nearest thing she could as a weapon, though the irony of it being a hardback copy of “War and Peace” was not entirely lost on her. “Why do you keep following me?!”

The man just stayed back and held up one hand in surrender while the other stayed firmly on the cane. There was a pain in his eyes though the rest of his expression was just wary while he looked past the book and just focused on her. “They say your name is Gabrielle?”

“Right.” Her desire to throw the book was slowly decreasing the longer she held it. “And you’re the one they call Rumplestiltskin.”

“Aye, dearie.” There was a faint smile though as he lowered his hand to just rest it on top of the other. “Well then… That’s a start at least. I wouldn’t exactly say I’m following you as much as just coming to check how you were doing since I returned.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you’re here… Or why you care.”

She sounded so cold though. Much the way he always expected if he had ever gone after her all those years ago when he had thrown her out. “Because I don’t give up that easily. You can ask me to leave, and I’ll do it because I want to find some way to get you to trust me again. But I’ll be back again tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that. Because once I had love right in front of me and I let it get away, and I don’t plan on making the same mistake again. I’m going to gain back the trust of the one person who believed in me if it’s the last thing I do in this world.”

By the time he was done the book was back to sitting on the desk where she had found it while she just studied him curiously. “And why should I?”

Rum sighed, clearly having feared that question. “Even before I can’t say I always gave you a lot of reason to do so, but I won’t lie to you. Not even in the half-truths I’m better known for giving. And because you have the mirror. All you have to do is ask it whatever you want to see, and it will show it to you.”

So that was the source of the mysterious gift in her room. Gabrielle was torn between throwing it out the window the moment she got back to her room and actually hearing him out. At least this time he wasn’t trying to kiss her while she slept. He motioned toward two of the large chairs in the corner, not pausing for a response before taking a seat. She hesitated for moment, considering taking a large book with her, before just going over to the other chair. If he tried anything she was sure Ruby would enjoy tearing him apart.

“What I’d like now is to know more about you. What interests you have such as keeping this library open? Or at least what you do remember.”

Gabrielle was just silent as she studied him and compared her mental notes of everything she had heard the last weeks against the man sitting there. He certainly didn’t look like the “most powerful man in town” who was unforgiving and cruel. If she had to describe it the first word she actually would have used was nervous. There was nothing all that scary about her, but perhaps being around someone who had been locked up most of their life was enough to put anyone on edge. Still, assuming rumors were true, he could inflict a good amount of damage with that cane assuming she did suddenly go completely deranged on him.

So she started talking. Everything about her early childhood with her parents and a love of flowers and spending time with her two older sisters who had always just teased her for not being interested in clothes and boys. By the time she got around to talking about the drunken driver who had crashed into her mother and sisters late one rainy night when she was fifteen she had found herself more and more at ease with pouring her heart out to him. Even going on how badly she had taken the accident and all the time spent after pondering on why her father had her committed. Gabrielle had not even taken notice of the tears that were falling until he was standing in front of her again, offering a handkerchief that she gladly accepted.

“And then the next thing I remember is the pain and then that car coming at me again. No idea how I got out of the hospital in the first place.” She frowned at the memory and lack of anything preceding it to explain why she was there in the first place. “You pulled me out of the way, didn’t you? And were calling me “Belle”?”

“Well I couldn’t have very well just let that car just run right into you now, could I?” He was still absorbing all the facts, or false facts as they actually were here. Even by her own memories she had been locked up at least a decade and then been suddenly shocked awake to her memory before Emma Swan had ever shown up in town only to have the one thing that had supposedly set her off in the first place coming right at her. He knew he had been a fool to press so hard  before leaving, but there was so much of her somewhat-violent behavior that made more sense.

“And then I broke your cup…”

That had hurt. “Nothing a little magic couldn’t fix once I had all the pieces.”

“Magic… The nurses at the hospital just looked at me like I was crazy and kept drugging me every time I brought it up.” Was it also just her eyesight at that moment, or was his grip on his cane getting tighter all of a sudden? “You were using magic, weren’t you?”

“I’m not sure telling you that wou-“

“I _know_ what I saw! Everyone keeps trying to convince me that I was just imagining things, but people don’t just make balls of fire out of thin air!” She settled back into her chair and just closed her eyes. “I’m not crazy. I saw it. They’re the ones who just can’t accept it.” Gabrielle flinched at the hand on her shoulder before taking an unsteady breath and just trying to relax again.

“It was magic… You’re perfectly sane as far as that goes. You likely think us the strange ones for wanting to call you Belle and being sentimental about a chipped cup.”

Gabrielle just nodded slowly, brushing her hair back and rising to her feet. “I should go and lock up. Ruby’s going to start wondering if I stay too long.” She went around to just straighten everything out for the night and not paying attention to the wandering eyes that were just watching her affectionately and dropping the moment she turned back. “Will I see you tomorrow?”

“I said I would be… Have a good evening though, Gabrielle.” She gave him a small smile before going back to her work, watching for a moment as he reached the door and just closed it softly behind himself.

_What a curious man…_

 

~*~*~

 

The mirror helped. There was no sound, but otherwise it was a lot like watching a television where she could request any show any time she wanted it. She could ask it then about her questions about what had happened. Slowly they had also turned more and more into finding out what the mirror could tell her about Belle, but there was little information to specifically request. She finally knew how she had managed to escape, though there was nothing to indicate who he was and she was too worried about his reaction to ask Rumplestiltskin. The dealmaker turned pawn broker and owner of half the town had continued to visit her every afternoon she was at the library.

And when it wasn’t there, Granny’s Diner was still one place she could go to still be alone without feeling completely isolated from the rest of the world. She didn’t mind just sitting at a table by herself as long as there were other people around just going about their daily lives

“Can you take those over to the booth in the corner for me and get their order? One of the waitresses called out and now I’m trying to find someone to come in and just… Please?” Ruby was giving her one of those looks that was far too hard to refuse before she just laughed and took the tray.

“Alright. You only needed to ask.”

“Belle?” Her cheerful smile faltered for a moment as she turned to the table she was delivering to and bit back the knee-jerk reaction to correct the woman. However she wasn’t the first.

“No, Gabrielle…” Aurora smiled up at her before turning back to her two companions. “She’s the woman I was telling you about from the library that I wanted to go take a better look through. I didn’t think you worked here though.”

“I don’t. Just helping out a friend for a few minutes…” Admittedly she was curious, both at what they knew about Belle as well as who was supposed to be the third wheel in the little group. She knew love when she saw it, and that was what made things all the more confusing. To each their own, and they did all look terribly happy together. Gabrielle would be lying if she said she wasn’t the least bit jealous at the moment while she served out the drinks.

“Everyone here and their two names is just confusing,” replied the other woman, only looking mildly irritated though and more like she was glad to see an old friend.. “Belle, Gabrielle, whatever she prefers to be called here is actually the reason I didn’t end up killing Philip.”

“Oh Mulan! You wouldn’t have!”

Gabrielle just pulled over a chair, too interested to move away while the woman explained how she and Philip had ended up meeting after “Belle” had been the first one circumspect enough to not harm this Yaoguai without question. The idea that she would actually stand her ground rather than just fleeing seemed pretty incredible given the description Mulan gave of the fiery beast. “It took more bravery to take the time to actually listen than anyone else would have had.”

Aurora did her best to shake off her troubled expression of the company’s shared past and stories she clearly hadn’t heard before to just put on a smile again. “So really, you’re some kind of hero, Gabrielle.”

“I’m sorry… I really don’t remember any of this. And it’s not just you as I’m sure you’re lovely.”

For the first time she was actually the one missing the idea of Belle rather than everyone else having gotten used to Gabrielle. She didn’t want to be the slightly unstable young woman that had been locked up for almost half her life and never done anything extraordinary. The one who just put people on edge and was terrified of motor vehicles and just had never been allowed to do anything really normal until the man with the fire had suddenly shown up and saved her…

She left behind a rather confused Ruby and just headed out and down the road with only one destination in mind and no idea where to go in order to get there. A full hour later and half exhausted she pushed open the door to the pawn shop.

The eyes that met hers were filled with a hope long forgotten but still too afraid that he might be wrong. “Can I help you with something?”

“I need you to fix me…”

“Fix you? Are you hurt? Did that pirate come back again because I swear…”

He was just cut off by her shaking her head and wiping away the tears before they threatened to fall. “Belle. I need to find her or whatever happened to me.”

“Dearie, I wish I knew how…”

“Then what is the POINT?!” In a few long steps she had crossed over to in front of him. “The mirror and everything? I have all of these memories to watch but none of them belong to me, and I don’t want to just be the scared little girl in the forest waiting for someone to save me. I want to be that girl that goes fighting for what she believes in. She can go and save herself or at least doesn’t give up fighting and believing. So what good is your magic Rumplestiltskin if it can’t help me find her?”

He couldn’t help himself as he just wrapped his arms around her and kept them there despite her half-hearted protests until she had completely broken down into tears and clinging to his shirt like she’d slip away from the earth entirely if she let go. “I don’t know…”

“It’s not fair.” She just looked up as he brushed the tears off her cheek with his thumb.

“No, it’s not… But Gabrielle also has plenty of good traits as well. She’s kind. And fiercely loyal to her friends since I dare not say a word against the waitress from the diner, even if there was that incident with the full moon… But she’s also a dreamer. And while she might not be the strongest fighter out there, I think given the right opportunity she’d defend whatever was precious to her. She’s not quite Belle, but I have still enjoyed every minute I’ve gotten to spend with her.”

It was what she needed to hear even if it wasn’t the answer she had been hoping to receive. Gabrielle just smiled at him for a moment before leaning up to kiss him softly while his arms wrapped around her to just press her a little closer. It was a sweet moment of perfection, and, Rumplestiltskin figured, enough if that was all he was going to be able to manage from her. Belle had spent years after all never giving up on him. The very least he could do was keep fighting for her.

She pulled back, still smiling softly. “Rumple?”

“Yes, Gabrielle?”

He didn’t know why that made her grin all of a sudden. “Did you find your son?” Rum pulled back a little more, trying to remember when in the past weeks he had ever mentioned Baelfire. After all she had done most of the talking during that time. Belle just moved her arms around his neck, still smiling.

“I’m not crazy. I said I’d be here waiting for you… Didn’t I?”


End file.
